Universities could be under threat if they fail to find their niche (Picture: PA)

Universities could be engulfed by an ‘avalanche of change’ if they are not bold or forward thinking enough, an expert has claimed.

With competition growing globally and the rise of massive open online courses, or MOOCs, even red brick institutions could be under threat if they fail to find their niche, states a report by Sir Michael Barber says.

‘It could be a golden age ahead, but the big risks are timidity and risk aversion, it’s definitely a time for bold thinking,’ Tony Blair’s former adviser said.

‘The traditional multipurpose university with a combination of a range of degrees and a modestly effective research programme has had its day.’

Complacency over the next decade could be fatal as the free MOOCs grow ever popular, while technology changes and greater student expectations increase the pressure to diversify and perform, the report for IPPR argued.

‘There are serious threats to universities that are timid about this,’ it stated.

‘The ordinary red brick, one town university that just ticks over as it did at the second half of the 20th century will really suffer.’

However, Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of vice-chancellors’ group Universities UK, was a little more positive about the chances for unis to survive.

‘Universities have shown themselves to be highly adaptable in the past and have become adept at responding to changing climates,’ she said.